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A SERVICE EFFICIENCY CHECKUP with Optional Total Efficiency TUNEUP

A SERVICE EFFICIENCY CHECKUP; A LOT OF THINGS MAY NEED TUNING-UP:

What is most upsetting to me is when the system is not installed or designed properly and the customer calls for service because it doesn't seem to be cooling properly, the so-called tech comes out and puts the suction line gauge on a TXV metered coil, that pressure reading on a TXV doesn't tell you ZIP concerning if the unit is properly charged. Subcooling has to be checked, also superheat to verify TXV is holding near its SH setting but only after the airflow through the coil has been checked & is correct with clean indoor & outdoor coils.

Of course neither superheat nor subcooling is checked; the indoor blower wheel blades may not be checked for lint buildup, nor is the delivered cubic feet per minute of airflow to the rooms. Therefore usually, the original design flaws are never corrected, nor are the available choice options shown to the customer...

I would say the vast majority of the whole house systems are totally ignored as are the sizing of the equipment along with the sizing of the duct system and return air filter areas.

When replacing equipment the home and the design of every system needs to be checked and done right for optimal efficiency.
List the problems, explaining the consequences if not done right, & the cost of each procedure.

There is an unlimited amount of work that needs doing that is never checked so the customer has the option to fix those problems...they will never have near an optimally efficient performing system unless they correct those costly factors.

This is the right ROI way for a customer to invest their money verses one or two minor fixes that neglect the big economic factors...

Assuming a system is properly installed, meaning proper airflow, no refrigerant leaks..etc., and the filters and condenser coil are kept clean, it should require very little maintenance. Do you have your refrigerator, dishwasher and oven inspected once ore twice a year? A HVAC system is basically an appliance. When something is wrong you will most likely know it. The one part that should be replace for preventative maintenance reasons is the contactor. But how long should a contactor last? 5 years? Otherwise I think it make more economic sense change your filters and run the system until it breaks.
For customers with heat pump that use there equipment year round and in dirty environments I recommend a maintenance every other year.

"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten". --Benjamin Franklin
"Don't argue with an idiot, they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience". --Mark Twainhttp://www.campbellmechanical.com

I'll say this...................
When the heat wave hits, it's not my regular customers that call with their a/c out.
It's the new customer, the customer who feels it's a waste of money to perform annual maintenance or an old customer that hasn't called in years.

Ga, so if there is no track back to work performed, how do I know what was done?

I bet if 10 guys state what a furnace service (or heat pump service) entails, we'd get 10 different answers.

Very rarely do I find furnaces with any pressure test holes. Isn't ESP a basic service test?

And wouldn't having those numbers over time help indicate longevity?

Truth be known Tedd... probably half the (licensed) folks in my area do not even know how to do an ESP test... much less own the instrument (and a lot of that group have not even heard of it--they do not even know how to do ductwork measurements and determine airflow)--I know this from conversations at the counter of supply houses... even folks who appear to be intelligent. And no, tune-ups do not include duct testing... they are equipment checks. The problem is... when it comes to ductwork; unless there is a 'glaring' issue (like a room that is 10D off temp), almost ALL homeowners say; 'well it has worked for ____ years, it does not need fixing' (it is a $$$ thing).

As to verification (do not take this personally); If you stood a bit back from a mechanic updating the software of the computer in your vehicle... could you tell if they did it correctly... or for that matter if they put the correct software in? Nobody who was not trained on that procedure could... So if the tech said (or wrote) they did, how do you really know... truth be told... you do not. As I said... this idea of verification is a hoax.

This idea of consumers not trusting the trades-folks they call out... rather treating them like hired labor... well us PROFESSIONALS in the trade resent it... and honestly when we talk to a 'new customer' with that attitude... well most of the folks I throw them a high price to run them off. An over-bearing and non-trusting customer is a pain in the a**... and not worth it when there are 10 more (without the attitude) ready to do business.

As I said: This idea of consumerism strictly by the numbers... is not a good idea. Here is an example: In my area we do not have extreme (as compared to other parts of the USA) weather; design temps are 22 and 92... not exactly HOT or COLD. Literally NO high efficiency equipment will have a reasonably payback, it is about comfort. So what would a 'by the numbers' consumer do... they would buy the cheapest system from the cheapest hack to install it... then wonder why it did not work right and needed endless service. Do you see how this 'by the numbers' thing is not reality...

OTOH: GA (myself) sells more VS furnaces than standard, and a lot of 16 SEER 2 stage AC to go along with the VS furnace (VS furnaces are all 2 stage heat). Here is a question for you Tedd... why do folks, KNOWING there is not going to be a financial payback, buy the high end system?

Went on one today we installed 15 years ago and havent been back since, couldn't even see the package unit due to kudzu. Took me an hour to cut back all the kudzu to get to it. Evap had 1/4" of dog hair ect and condenser was all but completely clogged, 160* condensing temp. Washed coils started back up. 1/2 the cap tubes are fouled up probably from cooked oil.